Field of the Disclosure
The technology of the disclosure relates to a cable reels, and related assemblies and methods, which may be used to spool cable and pay out cable, including but not limited to fiber optic cable.
Technical Background
Benefits of optical fiber use include extremely wide bandwidth and low noise operation. Because of these advantages, optical fiber is increasingly being used for a variety of applications, including but not limited to broadband voice, video, and data transmission. As a result, fiber optic communications networks include a number of interconnection points at which multiple optical fibers are interconnected. Fiber optic communications networks also include a number of connection terminals, examples of which include, but are not limited to, network access point (NAP) enclosures, aerial closures, below grade closures, pedestals, optical network terminals (ONTs), and network interface devices (NIDs). In certain instances, the connection terminals include connector ports, typically opening through an external wall of the connection terminal. The connection terminals are used to establish optical connections between optical fibers terminated from the distribution cable and respective optical fibers of one or more “preconnectorized” drop cables, extended distribution cables, tether cables or branch cables, collectively referred to herein as “drop cables.” The connection terminals are used to readily extend fiber optic communications services to a subscriber. In this regard, fiber optic networks are being developed that deliver “fiber-to-the-curb” (FTTC), “fiber-to-the-business” (FTTB), “fiber-to-the-home” (FTTH) and “fiber-to-the-premises” (FTTP), referred to generically as “FTTx.”
As part of this extension to deliver services to subscribers is the last mile connection which often occurs indoors. Different kinds of buildings like multi-dwelling units and blocks of apartments require complicated cabling systems which might include many separated cables, each one connecting one subscriber. Installation of many cables which provide the connection between a main distribution point (which usually is located in the basement or in another place of the building) and the end user may cause many problems with routing through the wall or levels of the building. As a result, such cable installations consume undue time and cost.
To facilitate cable installations, the fiber optic cable is often provided on cable reels that can be used to provide, ship, and pay out fiber optic cable. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, an exemplary cable reel 10 is shown. Fiber optic cable 12 is spooled on the cable reel 10. The cable reel 10 is comprised of two flanges 14A, 14B disposed between a cable drum 16. The flanges 14A, 14B are separated a distance D1 to provide the size of the cable drum 16, which in turn dictates how much fiber optic cable 12 length can be spooled onto the cable reel 10. The flanges 14A, 14B are raised about the surface of the cable drum 16 to retain fiber optic cable 12 spooled into the cable drum 16. An internal flange 18 may be disposed adjacent to the flange 14B to allow a portion of the fiber optic cable 12 to be started and stored separately in the area 20 between the internal flange 18 and the flange 14B before spooling. When the cable 12 needs to be accessed later, a technician may easy access the cable 12 in the area 20 without having to access the cable between the flange 14A and the internal flange. The fiber optic cable 12 can be dispensed from or “payed out” from the cable reel 10 when desired, such as during cable installations.
After the desired amount of the fiber optic cable 12 is payed out, excess of the fiber optic cable 12 may be retained on the cable reel 10. It is desired to store the excess fiber optic cable 12 not payed out after installation in case the excess fiber optic cable 12 is needed for additional cable installations or expansion of current cable installations. Also, because the excess fiber optic cable 12 is not conveniently stored on the cable reel 10 after payout, multiple cable reels having different lengths of fiber optic cable may deployed. This allows effective management (i.e., reduction) of the amount of excess cable that may remain after payout from a given cable reel 10, but also requires providing cable reels 10 with different lengths of cables which are standardized. In this instance, the cable reel 10 may be stored with the excess fiber optic cable 12 retained thereon. However, the cable reel 10 may not be suitable for storing excess fiber optic cable 12 at an installation site because of the significant volume that the cable reel 10 occupies. Thus, installation personnel may remove the excess fiber optic cable 12 from the cable reel 10 by removing the flanges 14A, 14B and/or 18 and storing the unspooled, loose excess fiber optic cable 12 at the installation site. Storing fiber optic cable 12 unspooled may cause the fiber optic cable 12 to become disorganized and difficult to reorganize and reuse or pay out during installation changes.